Stoker for engine-furnaces



(No Model.)

2 sheets-sheet 1. E. T MGWHORTER. STOKER FOR ENGINE FURNACES. No.530,117. I Patenfged Dec. 4,1894.

as cov FHOTO-LITNO., WASHINGTON, a c.

' (No Model.)

B. T. MQWHORTERQ 2 SheetsSheet 2.

STOKER FOR ENGINE FURNACES.

No. 5s0;117.

Patented Dec; 4, 1894.

El 6 TJWbVWwrk-r view of the same.

Units STATES m cs.

ELI T. MOWHORTER, OF FOREST, MISSISSIPPI,

-STOKER FOR ENGINE-FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,117, dated December4, 1894.

Application filed August 22, 1894. Serial No. 521,007. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ELI T. MOWHORTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Forest, in the county of Scott and State of Mississippi,have invented a new and useful Stoker for Engine-Furnaces, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to a stoker adapted especially for use inconnection with locomotive furnaces; the objects in view being toprovide means whereby the fireman may introduce coal into the furnacewithout the use of an ordinary hand shovel to avoid the exposure to heatincident to such use of ahand shovel.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 isa side view of the stoking apparatus appliedin the operative position to a locomotive. Fig. 2 is a plan Fig. 3 isavertical longitudinal section, showing the parts in the positions whichthey occupy when the operating lever or handle is elevated. Fig. 4 isasimilar view, showing the parts in the positions which they ooupy whensaid operating lever or handle is lowered.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawmgs. v p

1 designates a coal hopper or receptacle, the walls of which areinclined toward the reduced outlet 2 at the bottom, and below thisoutlet is arranged a drum 3, provided with a series of spaced pockets 4adapted to receive coal from the receptacle or hopper. The spindle 5 ofthis drum is provided at one end with a ratchet-wheel 6, with whichengages an operating pawl 7 carried by the short arm of the operatinglever or handle 8. This operating pawl is provided with an actuatingspring 9, and a retaining pawl 10 isdisposed in operative relation withthe ratchet wheel 6 to prevent backward rotation of the drum. Theoperating lever-or handle is fulcrumed to the standard 11, and dependingfrom the longer arm of the lever is a pivotal plunger 11, provided atone side with a rack-bar 12 and at the opposite side with a cam 13. Thisplunger is slotted vertically at 14 to receive a stud 15.

Mounted in bearings 16 is a rock-shaft 17 provided at one end with asegment or muti lated gear 18 to engage the teeth of the rackbar 12,whereby as the operating lever or handle is oscillated, said rack-bar 12engages the teeth of the segment or mutilated gear and turns therock-shaft. This rock-shaft carries an arm 19, which terminates at itsfree or outer end in a hod or carrier 19, and when the parts are in theposition shown in Fig. 3, said hod or carrier is disposed in position toreceive coal from one of the pockets of the drum. When said operatinglever or handle is disposed, as shown in Fig. 2, the free end of the arm18 is moved to a position adjacent to the furnace door 20.

The furnace door may be of any preferred construction, inasmuch as thedetails thereof 2 are immaterial to my invention, but attached theretoor to a depending member 21 thereof, is a pinion 22, which meshes withthe rackbar 23. This rack-bar is loosely connected to one end of arocking-lever 24, the opposite end of which is arranged in .the path ofthe offset portion of the cam 13., A spring 25 is arranged in operativerelation with the rocking-lever 2 1 to hold said lever in such a position as to maintain the door closed or to returnthe same to suchposition when the operating handle or lever is released. When saidoperating handle or lever is depressed,

the offset portion of the cam 13 operating against the extremity of thelever 24, swings the same in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig.2, and thus opens the door before the free or carrying end of the arm 18reaches the opening in the furnace. An antifriction roll 26 ispreferably arranged upon the extremity of the lever 24 in position tobear against the cam 13.

ICQ

scribed, and as said hod or carrier recedes from the furnace door, thelatter is closed, thus preventing the cooling of the fire in theinterval. At each elevation of the free end of the operating lever orhandle and after the hod or carrier has returned to its normal position,shown in Fig. 3, the pawl 7 turns the spindle of the drum a distanceequal to the interval between two of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel (5,thus bringing a full pocket 4 into position to discharge into the hod orcarrier, and therefore it will be seen that each time the hod or carrierreturns to said normal position it is filled by the discharge of thecontents of one of the pockets of the drum, and is then ready todischarge the coal thus received into the furnace.

The advantages of the above construction are, that the fireman may applycoal without exposing himself to the heat of the furnace and withoutkeeping the furnace door open throughout the operation; that the firemanmay occupy a position entirely out of the direct line of the heatdischarged from the furnace, and may be located, as indicated in thedrawings, in such a position as to be aware of the progress of thetrain, and thus be able to protect himself or avoid danger in case ofaccidents, such as wrecks; and, finally, that the stoking may beaccomplished with greater facility and regularity, and hence a moreuniform fire preserved than with the present means of supplying afurnace with fuel.

It will be understood that in practice various changes in the form,proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any ofthe advantages thereof.

Having described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. The combination of ahod or carrier having a swinging arm, an operating lever or handle,connections between said lever or handle and the arm of the hod orcarrier, and means for filling the hod or carrier, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination of a rock-shaft, a ho or carrier provided with an armafiixed to said rock-shaft, an operating lever, connections between theoperating lever and said rock-shaft, and means for filling the hod orcarrier, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a swinging arm, a hod or carrier connectedthereto, an operating lever, and connections between saidoperconnections between said operating lever and the swinging arm, of arotary drum provided .with spaced pockets, a receptacle adapted todischarge its contents into said pockets, a ratchet-wheel affixed to thespindle of said drum,'and an operating pawl carried by the lever andarranged in operative relation with said ratchet wheel, substantially asspecified.

5. The combination with a 110d or carrier having a swinging arm, and arock-shaft carrying said arm, of an operating lever, a gear fixed to oneend of the rock-shaft, a plunger connected to the operating lever andprovided with a rack to mesh with said gear, and means operated by thelever to fill said hod or carrier, substantially as specified.

6. The combination with a hod or carrier having a swinging arm, anoperating lever, connections between said operating lever and theswinging arm, and means connected with the operating lever for fillingthe hod or carrier, of a furnace door, and connections between theoperating lcver and the furnace door, whereby the latter is opened whenthe lever is moved in one direction and is closed when it is moved inthe opposite direction, substantially as specified.

7. The combination with a hod or carrier having a swinging arm, anoperating lever, connections between the operating lever and theswinging arm, and means operated by the lever for filling said hod orcarrier, of a rocking lever, a plunger having a cam arranged inoperative relation with one end of said rocking lever, a spring forreturning said rocking lever to its normal position, and connectionsbetween the rocking lever and a furnace door, substantially asspecified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELI T. MCWI-IORTER.

Witnesses:

S. H. KIRKLAND, V. A. MoWHonTER.

